Yesterday I stopped in a gas station and walked by cigarettes, Ho Ho’s, and sugary sodas. I didn’t smoke a pack, down a box of Ho Ho’s or gulp 1 liter of soda as I walked by.
“In elementary schools that sold fruits and vegetables in vending machines, students ate more produce overall than students in schools that didn’t offer such healthy choices. By the same token, students ate more sweets overall if they went to schools with vending machines that sold sweets.”
My inference: If your workplace rid its vending machines of junk food and was replaced with healthier options , people would eat healthier at the machine. The only difference is that one is a child and one is an adult. The reasons behind why a child eats sweets aren’t much different than why an adult would:
- It tastes good
Why this is even an issue
Childhood obesity. It’s that simple. Studies wouldn’t be conducted on why a healthy, average weight, 12 year old girl decided to have a bag of chips one day. The health community consistently blames vending machines, TVs, computers, and fast food for the rising obesity rate. It’s true a child spends much more time online, but someone has to be held accountable for this lifestyle. This is not the vending machine’s fault. Parents, as I wrote about, must be role models for their child’s eating and exercise. If they don’t educate their children on the difference between cookies and carrots (yes, this happens), the blame shouldn’t be on everything other than the guardians.
Children can’t rely on the fruit filled crap near the locker room to save them.
McDonald’s gets assaulted for their role in childhood obesity. They’ve made strides to put healthy items on the map and that’s exactly what we need—choices. I’m a proponent of food choice and if I crave a bagged cookie I would like to find it. I don’t need people controlling my diet in school, college or work. If there can be healthy alternatives along with my cookies, I’ll consider that a compromise, but don’t you dare blame my cookie machine for your kids BMI over 30.